A woman went on a luxury cruise and the ship abandoned her on a tropical island. She was found dead
Lizard Island. Photo: Dreamstime
An 80-year-old woman on a 60-day luxury cruise around Australia has been found dead after being left behind on a tropical island, CNN reports.
The female passenger was reported missing to authorities on Saturday evening after the crew of the Coral Adventurer cruise ship, which has been operating for more than 40 years and offers cruises around Australia and beyond, discovered she was not on board.
The ship had docked on Saturday morning at Lizard Island, a tourist island about 30 kilometers off the coast of Queensland known for its natural beauty and luxury accommodation.
Investigators said the woman had been hiking on Lizard Island, 250km north of Cairns, with other passengers on the Coral Adventurer on Saturday, but is believed to have drifted away from the group to rest. The vessel left the island around sunset but returned several hours later after the crew realized the woman was missing.
An extensive search operation led to the discovery of her body on Sunday morning.
Queensland Police confirmed the woman's body was found on Lizard Island on Sunday morning and described her death as “sudden but not under suspicious circumstances”.
It is not clear when he died or why no one noticed that he was not on board the boat when it left Lizard Island.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has announced it has opened an investigation, which will include “circumstances where the passenger may not have been considered during boarding”.
The Coral Adventurer, with a capacity of 120 passengers and 46 crew, had left Cairns Harbor just a day earlier on October 24.
Lizard Island was one of the first stops on the US$50,000 cruise, which takes passengers around the country via the northern tip of Cape York to Australia's west coast.
Cruise operator Coral Expeditions promotes Lizard Island as a place where passengers can swim, snorkel or hike to “Cook's Look” for panoramic views.
